Plant cold acclimation and its impact on sensitivity of carbohydrate metabolism

Abstract

The ability to acclimate to changing environmental conditions is essential for the fitness and survival of plants. Not only are seasonal differences challenging for plants growing in different habitats but, facing climate change, the likelihood of encountering extreme weather events increases. In order to better assess and respond to associated future challenges and risks it is important to understand the processes happening during acclimation. Previous studies of acclimation processes of Arabidopsis thaliana to changes in temperature and light conditions have revealed a multigenic trait comprising and affecting multiple layers of molecular organization. Here, a combination of experimental and computational methods was applied to study the effects of changing light intensities during cold acclimation on the central carbon metabolism of Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. Mathematical modeling, simulation and sensitivity analysis predicted an important role of hexose phosphate balance for stabilization of photosynthetic CO2 fixation. Experimental validation revealed a profound effect of temperature on the sensitivity of carbohydrate metabolism.